A well-defined brand can completely change your business. Instead of having to search for a niche or struggling with an identity the right brand will give you a leg up on your competition. You will instantly be recognizable to real estate agents, sellers, buyers and fellow investors in your area. You will become the go to source when a deal in your niche comes their way. This makes lead generation and ultimately closing deals that much easier. However, getting to this point takes time and commitment. Branding does not happen overnight. There are several things you need to stay consistent with for several months, if not longer. Fortunately many of these things you already know and just have to push yourself to do. If you are looking to grow your brand and your business here are four tips that will set you on the right path.
- Start With A Vision. One of the best parts about branding is that you can be anybody you want to be. You don’t have to try to emulate someone else in your area. If you have an interest and a passion for investing in mobile homes that can be your niche. If you want to buy properties with tax liens you can brand yourself in this area. If you have a loud bubbly personality this can be what separates you from the pack. You can truly brand yourself in almost any way you like as long as it is something you are committed to. Before you do anything else you need to sit down and think about how you want your brand to come across. Once you have this down you can start looking for ways to implement it. With all of the technology and social media currently available getting your brand out is as easy as it has ever been. As long as you know what you are, what you want to portray and how you plan on marketing yourself you are ready to take the next step.
- Deliver Every Time. A brand is something that should be instantly recognizable every time you hear it. When most people think of tissues they think of Kleenex. When they think of a copy they think of Xerox. The biggest reason for this is because they deliver a quality product over a prolonged period of time. If you are going to brand yourself as the go to commercial building investor you need to make sure you can deliver. This doesn’t mean you have to move forward with every deal but you have to treat everyone that comes your way in the same manner. Most people in business, and especially real estate, want to work with people who are consistent. Knowing what you are going to get and how you will get it means something. Even if you can’t do a deal something as small as calling someone back is important. A two minute conversation will help you build credibility for a connection down the road. If you think about every person you meet and focus on delivering you will quickly grow your brand.
- Education. Someone who brands themselves as the condo king had better know everything about condominiums inside and out. There is no quicker way to lose credibility than by not being an expert in your niche. You should make it a point to spend some time every day learning about your craft. You should pour through as many blogs as you can and read anything on your niche wherever you can find it. You need to be the go to source for everything in your niche. If there are recent changes or updates you need to be the first to know. You should take time thinking of any questions the people around you will have. If you have to travel to attend groups or workshops in your niche this is something you need to do. The real estate business is constantly changing. Good branding is about being the authority on your area of focus and becoming an expert. Constant education will help cement your brand and separate you from the pack.
- Keep It Real. Aside from education and consistency the third most important trait for developing your brand is authenticity. The people around you need to see that you are genuinely interested and motivated with your niche. If not they will see right through you and won’t take you seriously. This is one of the reasons why picking the right brand & niche are so important. You don’t have to invest like everyone else. If you don’t want to buy rehab properties from a wholesaler you can find a different way. However you want to invest make sure it is something that you enjoy and can see yourself interested in for some time. You can also brand yourself in your personality. If you want to be the t-shirt and flip flop investor it is ok to do so. Conversely if you want to wear a three piece suit every time you meet someone you can do this to. As long as you are using your genuine personality and not a pseudo version of yourself you will be fine.
Branding takes time but as long as you are consistent with getting your message out there you can turn the corner sooner than you think.
